Month: June 2017

Industrial Fans Uses and Applications

Fans have helped to create safer and more pleasant internal environments for hundreds of years. The invention of mechanical fans is found in the industrial revolution and the first commercially viable electric fans were made available to the US public early in the 1930’s.

Fan Manufacturing and Ventilation Solutions

Today the technology behind fan manufacturing and ventilation solutions have sky-rocketed to create fans for virtually every use from cooling devices in a server room; to ventilation in a manufacturing plant; to keeping a bathroom clear of damp air.

Generally speaking, fans and their accessories can be divided into 3 main usage categories: domestic use, industrial use and commercial use.

Industrial Fans

Industrial Fans will often have a very robust requirement and it is essential to involve experienced engineers with the installation of such ventilation. Other than just determining whether the fans will be required for air supply or for exhaust functions (i.e.: as an extractor fan) the engineer or installation technician will need to be keenly aware of both the working temperatures of the units as well as any thermal protection qualities of its associated housing or frame.

Some industrial fans will come with controllable speeds which can be very handy in a changeable internal environment, especially with regards to saving on ventilation costs at times when the air regulation needs of an area are reduced. Special features such as built in monitoring and systems integration come in handy when working in a potentially hazardous environment for example when chemicals or volatile substances are involved. Generally speaking, fire resistance and corrosion resistance are both ‘plus’ features for any industrial ventilation setup. Above the ‘plus’ one will need to consider the health and safety requirements of your region such as vibration or noise control and air quality regulations related to worker health.

Commercial Fans

Commercial Fans would not have as robust a requirement but the overall integration of fans into the building structure and management system is key to efficiency. Automatic ventilation in refrigeration units or in rooms that will typically contain many people at the same time will keep areas safe and comfortable. Operational areas such as server rooms (also known as data rooms) and elevators will need to provide adequate ventilation, usually in the form of extractor fans, to remove excess heat generated by the operating machinery which often runs continuously. Commercial ventilation also acts as a barrier to unwanted external influences such as insects, pollution and natural allergens.

Domestic Fans

Lastly domestic fans find their main purpose in providing less costly air quality solutions. There are two ways to cut costs with a domestic ventilation solution. You can invest in a ‘cheap and cheerful’ unit from the beginning resulting in a smaller initial cost or you can install a slightly more costly fan and ducting system with operational features that help you save on heating and ventilation costs in the long run. There are a wide variety of low energy extractor fans and ventilation units are now available for kitchens, washrooms and living rooms. In addition heat recovery units now help you to use the heat from stale air that is being extracted to warm-up fresh air that is being pulled in by your system.

Additional information can be found at the Industrial High Pressure Blower Company web site http://www.highpressureblower.net/pressureblower.html

Commercial Extractor Fans

Today there are a wide range of commercial extractor fans available on the market to cover just about every application imaginable; from large commercial applications, such as restaurant kitchen extractor systems, to quiet airflow systems that are virtually silent in operation.

While a commercial kitchen extraction system, commonly made in stainless steel can cost several thousand pounds to buy and install, a large vent-axia through wall extractor fan may be fine for a small hot food business such as a shop making toasted bacon sandwiches.

The new quiet airflow extraction systems are proving popular as they have a high airflow, yet can barely be heard running. This helps keep environmental noise down, and this is often important in an office workplace.

Commercial Inline Fans

Commercial in-line fans are available that sit above the ceiling, often some distance from the room they are actually extracting the air from. They are connected to vents in the ceiling by ducting, which then connects to the inline fan, and then expels the air through more ducting to a grill in an outside wall.

This type of fan has to be used in certain “classes” of environment by law, whereby no electrically powered unit can be placed within a certain distance of damp areas, such as shower rooms as an example.

When buying a commercial extractor fan, you will have to take more into consideration than when purchasing a domestic extractor fan. The reason for this is that whilst a domestic fan may be cheap to buy and install, and can be replaced at a low cost if it breaks, the same cannot be said of a commercial extraction system.

Large Commercial Extractor Fan Installations

Most large commercial extractor fan installations will cost several thousand to buy, and will need professional installation. So given the investment you may make in one, you need to be buying with a reputable supplier, as you may be installing it in an environment where you may have to stop work if the extractor fan system breaks down, such as in a commercial kitchen.

If this happens, you need to know that someone can come out and fix your extractor fan very fast, as if you have to close your kitchen down, you will be losing money until it is fixed. So you need to do some research about the company you are buying your fan from, and ensure that they can provide a fast call out, and that they carry sufficient spare parts.

Additional information can be found at the Industrial High Pressure Blower Company web site http://www.highpressureblower.net/OEMFans.html

Power Roof / Wall Exhausters

To do a satisfactory job of eliminating excessively hot air, it is usually essential to have powered wall and / or roof exhausters. These fans should also help to control air pressure within the building whether it be negative or positive pressure. The most effective way to incorporate wall or roof exhausters into a system will be discussed below. A large number of buildings use exhaust fans and/or power roof ventilators to exhaust fumes, smoke, dust or other contaminants unavoidable in the operation of the business. As a result, these buildings are frequently under a severe negative pressure. This condition can create problems in many areas of operation. Examples are: (1) reduced efficiency of exhaust systems that are working against each other; (2) down drafts in flues, that may extinguish pilot lights and cause explosions and tire; (3) severe drafts around windows, doors and other locutions when air seeks to enter the structure. The solution to problems of this kind is usually found in the use of supply fans or “make-up” air ventilators. During the hot weather period, these fans become a valuable source of fresh, cooler, outside air to replace the superheated air being exhausted. If they arc correctly sized and coordinated with the exhaust fans, an effective ventilation system may be achieved.

Industrial Fans for Ventilation

A work stoppage or strike may occur if the problem of personnel discomfort is unresolved. The benefits from a solution to such a situation are enormous. In plants where there is a high density of employees and many manual operations involved, an improvement in the environment can produce substantial benefits in terms of increased production, reduced errors, and a decline in complaints and absenteeism among employees. In other circumstances, the attentiveness of an audience or student group may be a factor that spells success or failure for the project. There is a Buffalo Fan case history where a high ambient temperature had actually reduced the capacity of a big power turbine. To obtain rated performance by the machine, an improvement in the room ventilation and cooling system was necessary. When this was accomplished, the plant management was amazed to find an equivalent improvement in the efficiency of the employees who were required to work in this same environment with the machine.

Roof / Inline Exhaust Fans

If the exhaust and supply air requirements of a building have been carefully engineered and installed, and there continues to be a high instance of worker discomfort, the problem usually relates to the matter of air circulation. Typical examples of worker discomfort are found in areas where exhaust fans are roof mounted and air supply is through windows and wall openings. Air flow is generally from the window opening to the nearest roof exhauster. The cooling effect on the individuals in the area is negligible. To be effective, air flow must be at or near floor level. In this way, occupants obtain maximum benefit from the fresh, cooler air; they receive the added comfort of air circulation over their bodies and they are not adversely affected by the superheated air being exhausted from the building.

Blower Fan Ventilator – Air Make Up Fans

Lack of make-up air in a building can cause serious problems. Many times the problems are not even recognized and show themselves in ways that most people do not think about. A properly designed and installed ventilation system provides environmental control by avoiding negative pressure. Uncontrolled infiltration of air through window sashes, doors and walls leads to many undesired results. In this article we will discuss a few of these problems and inform you about the cost of make-up air.

The signs that You need Make-up Air Fans include:

1) Poor paint finishing due to dust, moisture or fumes. Exhaust fans will compete with each other for the available air. They are going to pull air from anywhere they can. Paint booth fans may lose out in the competition causing the paint to retain moisture and collect dust that is not removed by the exhaust fans.

2) Walls have moisture being pulled through. This shows that your plant is under negative pressure. Cement walls have small cracks that allow water to penetrate. Fans pull from every place air can get through. This includes walls. When fans pull air through walls, water from rain and other outdoor sources will also be pulled through. This will cause firring strips to rot, ruin wall coverings and paint jobs.

3) Smoke, haze and dust floating in the air. As you look across the factory is it hazy? You should be able to see clearly from one end of your factory to the other without the view being blocked by haze and smoke. If the area clears when a window or door is opened, it is starved for air. This indicates that the exhaust fans are competing for air. Welding, molding, metal cutting or many other processes can generate fumes that need to be exhausted or the factory could become hazy.

4) Stacks and exhaust fans take up a large portion of your roof. If this is the case, you are a prime candidate for make-up air. The number of stacks and exhaust fans on the roof is an easy way to gauge the amount of makeup air needed. The area of inlet air should be equal to or greater than the area of exhaust air. The hoods seem to have a downdraft rather than the normal updraft. The fumes from hoods are supposed to go up the hoods, but if the fan is starved for air the fumes will be found in the plant. This is also true for gas hot water heaters, boilers, furnaces and unit heaters or any other process that has a flue on it.

5) Fan motors also work harder when they are required. When a fan attempts to move air that is not there, it causes the load to rise. This causes the insulation to break down and shorten life. Motors should last 7 or more years. When every exhaust fan in the plant is fighting for the same air, all the motors are going to have decreased life.

6) When walking through the plant, odors seem to linger. Weld fumes, paint fumes and dip tanks all need to be exhausted. These fumes can cause undesirable mixtures of odors that linger and cause burning, watery eyes, sore throats or sinus trouble. This contributes to an Locker room, bathroom and other odors seem to creep through the plant and office. People’s clothes smell like the production line. Processes like oil mist, boilers, roasting ovens and paint booths have odors. All these aromas require ventilation. If the ventilators cannot provide the required number of air changes in the room, your plant is short of air.

7) Doors that are hard to open or doors that will not shut on their own are a sure sign that the plant is short of air. Inward swinging doors are easy to open and hard to close. Drafts through the door seals and knobs that are hard to turn add to the problem. Outward swinging doors are hard to open and “slam” shut, damaging seals and wearing hinges. Hydraulic door closer settings are set high to pull doors closed without slamming.

8) Shutters on the exhaust fans are not 100% open. Automatic or balanced shutters are not open. These shutters should be 100% open when the exhaust fans are running. If the exhaust fan is not getting enough air, the shutter will not open all the way. The shutters should gradually close when the fan is turned off. They should not slam shut.

9) Steel near the fume hoods is corroding due to fumes that should be exhausted. Many corrosive liquids require their own hood. Typically the hood is a stainless steel and will not deteriorate from the fumes. If the air is not going up the hood and fumes are being pulled through another exhaust fan that is not designed to handle the corrosive atmosphere, the fan and any nearby steel will also corrode and decrease the life of the unprotected equipment.

10) Cracks under the doors collect leaves, dirt or gum wrappers. The threshold of the door will collect a substantial amount of debris during the day due to the exhaust fans trying to grab air from anywhere they can get it. Part of grabbing the air will be the collection dirt and trash.

11) Cold walls. The walls should not be cold. The wall can act as an insulator if the air is balanced. Insulation will prevent some drafts, but no insulation will prevent all the air from coming through. With negative pressure, however, the drafts through the wall will be cold regardless of the amount of insulation. These cold drafts will cause absenteeism and help spread colds and illness throughout the building. People will constantly fight over the thermostat setting. Fuel will be conserved with proper ventilation. Without make-up air, cold conditions near the building perimeter and overheated areas in the middle of the building lead to installation of more inefficient unit heaters. These heaters work overtime to heat the air, which in turn gets pulled to center of the building thus adding to the overheating problem.

12) Pilot lights go out and the area smells of flue gases. The flue gases from the unit heaters must go up. When makeup air is needed, these gases do not go up the flue but back into the building. Unit heaters are not necessary with the proper makeup air units. The heat for the plant will come from the makeup air unit and the unit heaters will not run.

Exhaust Fans

The practical designs of modern homes are more focused on energy conservation. Making a home practically air-tight reduces heating requirements thus saving on electricity costs. This may be a great way to save money and help the environment, but it also leads to poor air circulation inside the house. Poor air quality can lead to a variety of cardiovascular diseases, ruined paint and damaged furniture which is why it is important to have good air circulation inside the home. The best way to do this is to install ventilation exhaust fans.

Types of Exhaust Fans

There are many different types of exhaust systems and getting an idea of how each one works will give you an idea of what type will be the best for your home. Different sized homes will have different ventilation requirements. Larger homes will require a variety of ventilation fans to keep the air from getting stale.

Wall Mounted Exhaust Fan Systems

The most common types of ventilation air purifying fans are wall mounted, ceiling mounted, inline fans, combination, exterior remote mounted and kitchen range exhaust fans. It is best to have ducting installed in areas where a visible fan would not blend in well. Areas like the living room, dining room, den and bedrooms would be good places to have ducting installed. Stale air runs through the ducting and exits the house via an exterior fan that expels the air outside, or busing using inline fans that are contained inside the actual ducting.

Ceiling or Wall Mounted Exhaust Fans

Kitchens, attics, laundry areas, bathrooms, garage and storage areas can be installed with either ceiling mounted or wall mounted exhaust fans if the area is situated beside an exterior wall.

It is important that all the areas inside a home need to have air circulation so that pollutants, pathogens or even humidity does not accumulate and lead to costly repairs or health problems. Be sure to select ventilation exhaust fans that are suitable for each area of the home.

For more information about proper building ventilation please visit the ABB Blower company web site http://www.fanblower.com/motor_cooling_fan.htm

Industrial Building Ventilation

Based on the objectives and funds available, one can now consider different alternatives for industrial building ventilation and select the best method to use in calculating air volume requirements. A description of these methods follows. This is a time-honored approach to a determination of air volume requirements. It is based on the theory that a complete change of air in a room or building should be made at a certain time frequency. The rate selected is frequently an arbitrary decision. It may be based on experience with similar installations or may be established by a health or safety code. Many fan manufacturers have published charts that show recommended rates of air change for typical installations. Although the rate of air change method of calculating air volume has been used for many years, Buffalo Fan engineers have found it unsatisfactory except in relatively small buildings or rooms. For jobs that involve personnel comfort. this method is not recommended if the building is over 50,000 cubic feet in content or more than l00′ in length.

Considerations for Building Ventilation

The volume of air required to operate a ventilating and cooling system is a very fundamental requirement. Before air volume is estimated or calculated, careful consideration should be given to the following factors. Be sure that the decision you make will accomplish the most important objectives or will overcome the most important problems. This should be the overriding consideration in the selection of a system of ventilation. Availability of money to finance the system is a factor that must be considered early in the planning stage. The funds available will affect the objectives you set and will influence the system of ventilation selected to meet the objectives.

CFM per square foot of floor area method

CFM per square foot of floor area method: this method of calculation is a modern adaptation of the rate of air change formula. Total air volume (cubic feet per minute) is determined by multiplying the total square feet of floor area by an arbitrary CFM per square foot figure. The figure selected may be as low as 2 CFM or as high as 12 CFM per square foot. Four CFM per square foot has been recommended as a minimum for summer ventilation of large assembly type operations. This method of calculation, like the rate of air change method, is likely to produce unsatisfactory results in many cases. Failure to control air distribution and air velocity can be a major weakness in the whole concept. Selection of a CFM per square foot figure should be based on experience and a proven method of air distribution.

Rate of air velocity method

Rate of air velocity method: This method of calculating air volume needed for a system is highly recommended by American Coolair. A breeze conditioning system can be highly effective in providing personnel comfort in hot weather if the recommendations outlined below are observed. It has been determined from field experience that an average air velocity of 150 feet per minute (FPM) to 200 FPM is usually sufficient for personnel cooling under summertime conditions. The CFM required to do the job is calculated by multiplying the cross section of an area through which the air is to move by the desired velocity. This is expressed in the following formula.

Factors Affecting Average Air Velocity

As building size increases, there are factors that will affect the average air velocity through the cross section of the building. The longer the building, the greater the amount of air leakage from windows, doors, elevator shafts, etc. To offset this air leakage, air velocity should be increased. This is done by relating the calculated velocity to the length of the building. The results will provide an effective velocity of approximately 150 ft./min.

Industrial Ventilators

In some buildings. it is not possible or practical to install a complete ventilation system. In such situations, zone cooling may be effectively used. The problem is similar to a spot cooling application, but usually involves a relatively larger area. Effective zone cooling may be accomplished by use of air circulators. See Air circulation below. A very satisfactory zone cooling method is the use of supply-type PRVs to flood the problem area with fresh, cooler air. The adjacent drawing and zone cooling table illustrate the capacity of several American Coolair PRV models to effectively cool an area. The figures are based on discharge of air approximately l5 feet above floor level.

Additional information can be found at the Canada Blower company web site http://canadablower.com/ahu/index.html

Ventilation with Ventilators and Blower Fans

Canada Fans Co. provides fans for every type of commercial structure including airports, arenas, stadiums, distribution centers, malls, offices, and retail. Canada Fans also offer smoke and heat exhaust fans that are UL listed for Smoke Control Systems and a full line of kitchen fans that are UL 762 listed for the exhaust of grease-laden air. Canada Fans engineers design, test, and manufacture fans for all types of buildings, including condos, custom homes, offices, malls, airports, arenas, and stadiums. We are able to meet your most precise requirements for a variety of HVAC equipment, including all types of custom, package air handlers and roof top units. In addition, Canada Fans can provide exhaust for restrooms, elevator shafts, parking garages, and jet bridges; stairwell pressurization; rooftop and sidewall supply and exhaust, including smoke and heat exhaust fans that are UL listed for Smoke Control Systems, as well as kitchen fans that are UL 762 listed for the exhaust of grease-laden air.

Exhaust Fans, Roof Ventilators

Canada Fans supplies thousands of fans to universities, hospitals, laboratories and research facilities, military bases, hotels, convention centers, and cruise ships around the world; working closely with architects, engineers and contractors to design and test fans that can meet the most precise quality and reliability requirements. Canada Fans makes smoke and heat exhaust fans that are UL listed for Smoke Control Systems, kitchen fans that are UL 762 listed for the exhaust of grease-laden air, and a full line of laboratory and fume exhaust systems. Canada Fans provides fans for numerous residential building applications, such as stairwell and elevator shaft pressurization; kitchen, restroom, and pool exhaust; and every aspect of HVAC, including air handlers, gravity ventilators, and large rooftop units.

Industrial Blower Fans

Manufacturing facilities require a large amount of ventilation to maintain a healthy work environment for the people working within the buildings. Canada Fans designs and builds fans to control and handle the exhaust, supply, and make-up air requirements for all types of manufacturing environments and spaces. The exhaust of welding and other noxious fumes and dusts, as well as the exhaust of hot air produced from ovens and other high temperature processes, are essential to providing safe and comfortable working conditions. In many cases, the building heating, cooling, and air conditioning (HVAC) requirements are also critical for proper production control and working conditions. A wide variety of businesses, industries, medical facilities, and institutions require ultra clean environments for research and development as well as production of specialty products and equipment. These facilities demand high filtration and positive pressures inside the clean room space to control the process and limit potential contamination. Other requirements typically include variable air volume, high efficient air moving equipment, low noise, and ultra-low vibration levels from the mechanical equipment.

Energy Efficient Blower Fan Ventilators

Among many other changes, the green revolution has created a greater need for more energy efficient fans and ventilation equipment. As a leader in the fan industry, Canada Fans engineers and manufactures high efficient products for a wide variety of green friendly applications including LEED building designs, biofuel and biomass production plants, landfills, solar film manufacturing facilities, as well as numerous waste energy and heat recovery systems. Regardless of how unique or specialized your process is, Buffalo Blower can customize our products to meet virtually any requirement.

Axial Ventilators and Fans

Canada Fans is well known for leveraging its design and manufacturing capabilities when constructing the heavy duty fans required for marine applications. Such marine duty fans are used for many purposes including boiler combustion air, mechanical ventilation, off shore rig diesel generator exhaust disbursement, pressurization, engine cooling, and dust control. Our air moving equipment can be found on drilling rigs, production platforms, tug boats, cruise ships, ferries, and cargo ships. We offer a number of features to meet the specific needs of the marine industry. These include shortened axial fan housings for operating in tight spaces, cast aluminum impellers and hot dip galvanized steel components for extended durability, spark resistant construction for potentially explosive air streams, water tight electrical connections to withstand corrosive environments, and IEEE 45 marine duty motors for both above deck and below deck installations.

Other Blower Fan Types

In addition to our extensive fan design and manufacturing experience, Canada Fans offer a number of products meeting requirements of the marine industry’s governing and standard organizations including:

Vaneaxial Fans

Canada Fans tubeaxial fans, vaneaxial fans and wall propeller fans are found throughout the world operating in industrial processes where performance, reliability and maintainability are of paramount importance. Ranging in diameter from 15 inches to over 84 inches, and with a variety of impeller designs, control systems and layout options, they form a comprehensive series of axial fans to satisfy virtually all industrial applications. The majority of Canada Fans fans can be grouped into four broad categories: with fixed pitch props, with variable pitch props and with controlled pitch props. Canada Fans fans are capable of moving from a few hundred cubic feet per minute, to heavy duty adjustable pitch props with capacities up to 900,000 CFM and with static pressures from 0 ” Water Gauge (WG) to 20″ ” WG.

Heavy Duty Axial Fans

Canada Fans Heavy Duty Axial fans are available with adjustable pitch blades are capable of more air delivery for the same horsepower. Efficiencies exceeding 70% are common. The primary reason for increased efficiency is Canada Fans’s unique blade design. The entire length of the blade surface generates air flow, not just the tip alone. The air flow is uniform all along the blade.

Axial Flow Fans

Canada Fans axial flow fans are best buy for many industrial air moving jobs. Generally, an axial costs considerable less than a quality centrifugal fan delivering the same volume and pressure. They cost less to install since they are lighter, requiring minimum structural support. They can be duct mounted, taking up little space. Direct drive models mean faster start-up and the abscence of V-belt drive and fan bearings lowers maintenance costs.

Vaneaxial Fans with Adjustable & Controllable Pitch

Adjustable and Controllable Pitch Vaneaxial Fans feature an adjustable pitch blade wheel that permits matching your pressure/volume requirements exactly, and lets you make on-the-job adjustments to compensate for system changes.

Tubeaxial Fans

Canada Fans Tubeaxial Fans have fixed blade wheels in capacities up to 100,000 cfm and to 5″ total pressure.

A new high pressure (up to 1.5″ WG) small vaneaxial Series VA fan is an ideal booster fan for prolonged ducts. Unlike inline centrifugal ventilator, that also generates rather high pressure, the air comes out not from a peripheral outlet ring area, but distributes evenly across its outlet opening like in true axial blowers.

Mixed Flow Fans

Mix flow fans combine characteristics of both axial and centrifugal fans, and in the Canada Fan design the impeller resembles a fixed pitch axial fan. Canada Fan has two ranges of mixed flow fan: one heavy duty, ideally suited for handling dust-laden gases, and a compact range that gives higher pressure rises than can be obtained from similar sized axial fans.

Heavy Duty Mixed Flow Fans

Canada Fan heavy-duty mix-flow fans are extremely robust, with plate blades that are ideal for handling dust-laden gases at elevated temperatures. Though a mixed flow fan is not as efficient as other types and the operating range is more limited, fan performance is less degraded by erosion or corrosion. Should repairs be needed the blades are easily welded. Heavy duty mixed flow fans are available with flows from 200 to 1000 m3/s and pressure rises up to 8 kPa.

Compact Mixed Flow Fans

Canada Fan in New York compact mixed flow fan is a fully ducted, in-line machine that has a non-overloading power characteristic. It is capable of operating throughout its pressure / volume curve without stalling, even at zero flow. This fan is ideally suited to applications where space is limited and, for example, is commonly used for ventilation on offshore oil platforms. Its robust design maximises reliability and, with anti-spark features, it is suitable in zone 1 hazardous areas. Belt and motor drive options are available. The range can produce flows up to 80m3/s at pressures up to 3 kPa.

Industrial Fans

For applications ranging from the latest high-speed locomotives to industrial cleaning vehicles, Canada Fan can design a fan to satisfy OEM cooling, ventilation and other air movement needs. Through concept engineering, prototype and production, we provide a complete service for OEM air movement needs. Buffalo Fan (New York) OEM experience spans a wide range of applications from custom-designed, heavy-duty fans for use in locomotives and off-highway vehicles to standardised, light duty commercial air handling fans.